Capital budget examined further

Frank MacEachern

Updated 11:23 pm, Monday, January 28, 2013

The suggestion that a pool proposed in Byram Park be moved to another area, such as the Dorothy Hamill Skating Rink in Byram, or the Montgomery Pinetum in Cos Cob, was sharply criticized by a speaker at Monday's public hearing on the town's proposed capital budget.

"I think the comments before me were absolutely crazy," Byram resident Michael Bocchino said as he reacted to Valerie Stauffer's comments. "I think the pool is a gem of Byram Park and it needs to be maintained."

Stauffer, chairman of Representative Town Meeting District 7/North Center, said she discussed the issue with other RTM members and they questioned allocating $200,000 for initial architectural and planning work for the pool in the 2013-14 draft capital budget.

"We're concerned that the $200,000 study seems to assume the pool will be in Byram Park," she said. "Byram Park is a gem and I have concerns that a bigger pool will be a large hole in the ground and a lot of asphalt."

Bocchino and Stauffer were two of 11 speakers at the public hearing at the Town Hall Meeting Room, which about 40 people attended.

First Selectman Peter Tesei is proposing a capital budget of $65.4 million with the lion's share, $56.1 million, in the budget's general fund. The general fund includes the big ticket items, including $20 million for the new Central Fire Station.

That general fund portion of the draft capital budget had stood at $64 million, but that was whittled by $8 million as Tesei cut out a $2.2 million request for the Holly Hill master plan and also halved the initial $5 million request for a new police telecommunications system.

Buisnessman John Blankley, who lost to Tesei in the November 2011 election for first selectman, took a swipe at Tesei and the BET, as he called for greater capital investment.

"In our political tangles Peter, you made a great point talking about a balance. I have taken that point on board, it is a very good point, the balance between taxing and spending," he said. "I don't know if we got it right every year, in years gone by, but I am pretty certain this year you got it wrong between all of you, and that is a pity."

Blankley requested another look be taken at the capital budget.

Tesei didn't respond to the comments at the time but later said the state's municipalities have been put on notice that the state may cut municipal aid as it grapples with its budget deficit.

Candace Garthwaite, who lives on Park Avenue in Old Greenwich, made a plea for money to be put into stormwater management projects.

"I am encouraged that the drainage projects show up in the budget, but discouraged that they seem to keep putting pushed back and they lose out in the appropriation for the above ground projects," she said.

Garthwaite said that work is needed because of increasing severe storms.

"I believe we are all aware the intensity of storms are increasing," she said. "I believe we dodged a serious bullet with (Superstorm) Sandy. It didn't rain and that storm surge and tide was pretty serious and if we had serious high intensity rain on top of that, the damage would have been a lot more serious."

Tesei also came out strongly in favor of a generator at Eastern Middle School, which was used as an emergency shelter during severe storms like Sandy.

"I believe it is not even a debatable point, it has to be funded next year," he said.

Without naming anyone, Tesei cautioned BET and RTM members about voting against the generator.

"What others do with it afterwards is their responsibility and they will be accountable for that," he said.